Our Story

The First Baptist Church of West Danby Est. 1810

The very first church building was a log cabin built by Moses Barker in 1809, believed to be built on the same site of this church building. In 1810 Moses Barker started the church known as the West Danby Baptist Society. In 1840 the church building in this picture was erected by the Baptist Church Society; and in the winter of 1841 Elder Gross, pastor dedicated it.

Our Mission

The mission of the First Baptist Church of West Danby is to turn people into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ by pointing them to the relationship with Christ that transforms lives. We believe “a great commitment to the commands of Christ will build a great church.”

Our Beliefs

The Scriptures
We believe that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” (II Timothy 3:16); Romans 15:4; I Corinthians 10:11;)

The Triune Godhead
We believe in the one true and living God, the Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer and Ruler of all things. He is infinite, eternal, unchangeable, and is revealed to us as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God the Father
God, as Father, reigns over all of His universe with providential care. He is all-powerful, all loving, all knowing, and all wise. He is fatherly in attitude toward all men but is Father, indeed, to those who have become children of God through Jesus Christ, Who will deliver them into the Father’s hands. (Genesis 1:1; I Chronicles 29:10; Jeremiah 10:10, Matthew 6:9; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14,15; I Corinthians 8:6; I Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 4:6)

God the Son
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. This redemption He accomplished by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless, substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God’s righteous judgement against sin. We believe in His bodily resurrection from the grave, and that he ascended to the right hand of His Father where He intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him. (Luke 1:34; John 1:1,2,14,18; Romans 3:24-26, 8:34)

God the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person who mediates Jesus Christ to believers, convicts of sin, comforts them, empowers them and that He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually dead; that He baptizes (or places) all believers into the one true Church, which is the Body of Christ; that He indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of final redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon them, fills (controls) those who are yielding to Him. Every believer is called into the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God. (John 3:3-8, 14:16,17; 16:7-11; I Corinthians 12:7-11,13; Ephesians 4:30, 5:18)
Creation
We believe that man was created directly by and in the image of God. We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, by direct act. (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16,17)

The Devil – Satan
We believe that Satan is a person that is powerful and wicked always trying to draw man into doubt and rejection of God. We believe he is the author of sin and the mason of the fall of man, and is destined to the judgement of an eternal punishment in the lake of fire. (Matthew 4:1-3; Acts 5:3; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10)

Man
Although man was created in the image of God, he fell into sin by his own choice and, is lost; because of this choice sin passed upon all men. It is a condition in which we have no power in and of ourselves to change or turn from this. God provided a way to come to him and for man to make peace with God, this way is through the redemption of His Son, Jesus Christ. Except a man be born again by the Holy Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Genesis 1:26, 27; John 3:3; Romans 3:10, 23)

Atonement for Sin
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe on Him are redeemed by His shed blood. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body, of our Lord Jesus Christ and in His ascension into heaven; He is our High Priest and Advocate. (John 1:1-3,14; 3:1-7,16; Hebrews 10:4-14, I John 2:2)

Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God’s grace. It cannot be gained or made more secure by meritorious works, but is freely bestowed upon all who put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. All who trust the Savior are forgiven of their sins and born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. (John 1:12; Acts 16:30-33; Romans 10:9,10; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8,9)

The Christian Walk
We believe that we are called with a holy calling, to walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, and to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. But the flesh is never eliminated in this life and the individual chooses to keep the flesh in subjection to Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit or it will surely manifest its presence in our lives to the dishonor of our Lord. (Romans 6:11-13; 8:2,4,12,13; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 2:1-10; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 1:4-7; 3:5-9)

The Great Commission
It is the Christian’s responsibility and privilege to seek the fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission and to proclaim the life changing news to a needy world. We are to be instruments of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit helps us fulfill our commitment to Christ and our message to the world. (Matthew 25:31-46; 28:18-20)